Clothes-drier



(N0 Modlel.)v

E. H. THOMAS.

CLOTHES DRIER.

No. 498,091. Patented May 23, 1893.

INVENTOB W E s S w n W A TTOHN E Y8.

TNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELIHU H. THOMAS, or BRATTLEBOROUGH, VERMONT.

CLOTHE-DRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 498,091, dated May 23, 1893.

To all whom it may concern: I Be it known that I, ELIHU H. THOMAS, of Brattleborough, in the county of Windham and State of Vermont, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Olothes-Driers, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact; description. 1

Myinvention relates to an improvement in clothes driers, and has for its object to provide a device of that character especially, adapted to be attached to the outside of a building at the window thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fixed device by means of which clothes may be dried in an expeditious and effective manner, and toso construct the device that the lines or rods upon which the clothes are to be placed may be drawn within the room and supported and the clothes hung thereon, and when the line or rod has received its quota of clothes whereby the said line or rod may be carried outside and hung and locked in a position to permit the clothes to hang freely downward and be acted upon at all sides by the atmosphere.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device provided with a number of rods or lines each of which is capable of being operated independently of the others.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device, illustrating its application to a window; and Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken about centrally through the device andthe window frame to which the device is applied.

The body of the device may be said to consist of a frame A, embracing two side bars 10, a front beam 11 and a rear beam 12, the side bars being preferably secured upon the upper surfaces of the front and rear beams. The frame is not strictly rectangular, although it may be of that shape, but is of greater width at its outer than at its inner end. In applying the frame of the device to Application filed February 17, 1893- Serial NOABZJBS. (No model.)

the window frame B, the rear bar 12, is placed transversely across the window frame, preferably parallel with the upper rail of the lower sash of the window frame when the latter is closed, although the frame may be located higher or lower upon the window frame if in practice itis found desirable. The rearbeam or bar 12 of the frame of the device is of much greater length than the sash opening in the window frame; in fact, the rear bar extends preferably across, and each side of the window opening to the extent of about onehalf the width of the said opening, thereby making the length of the rear bar 12 double the width of the windowopening. The frame of the device is secured to the window frame by means of screws or other fastening devices and braces 13, are also preferably employed to strengthen and support the frame, the braces being attached to the side bars near their outer ends and to the upper portion of the window frame.

The frame of the device is provided with a number of rods 14, extending from the front to the rear bar thereof; and the spaces between the rods are greater at the front than v at the rear of the frame. These rods are ordinarily made of galvanized metal, and a rack 15., of a serpentine or wave-like character is secured to the rear bar 12 of the frame of the device in such manner that the rack is pendent from said bar. The rack is preferably made of galvanized metal, and is preferably of greater length than the width of the window frame,- as shown inFig. 1.

The construction of the device is completed by the addition thereto of a series of rods 16, corresponding preferably in number to the frame rods, the rods 16, being adapted to receive the clothes to be dried. The inner end of each rod is provided with a hook 17; and

the forward end of the rod is curved upward and bifurcated in order to have journaled therein a friction roller 18 the roller being adapted to travel upon one of the frame rods 14:. Thus a clothes rod is located beneath each frame rod, and when the hook end of the clothes rod is not connected with a support it may be drawn into a room through the opening in the window frame until the friction roller 18 actually engages with the rear bar of the frame. But when the clothes rods are in position to expose the clothes carried thereby, the hook ends of the rods are engaged with the depressed surface of the rack, being spaced properly from one another by the raised portions of the rack separating the depressions.

I desire it to be distinctly understood that instead of the rod a cable or the equivalent thereof may be employed as a medium for,

supporting the clothes; but ordinarily and preferably a rod is used, as it may be more readily manipulated. \Vhen all of the clothessupporting rods have been placed upon the rack they may beheld in locking engagement therewith, or in such close connection with the rack that they can not slip from it, by means of a latch bar 19, the said bar being pivoted at one end beneath the rear bar of the frame and at the rear of the rack, so that when the latch bar is carried to a horizontal position it will engage with the hook end of each clothes-carrying rod and prevent said rod from leaving the rack, the latch bar being supported in its locked position by means of a button 20, engaging with and supporting its free end; but any other keeper orsimilar device to a button may be employed for that purpose.

In the operation of the device, the clothes are preferably first hung upon the outer clothes-carrying bars, and the central bars are the last upon which the clothes are to be placed. First, the latch bar is lowered; then an end clothes-carrying rod is disengaged from the rack and drawn within the frame, as shown in Fig. 1, the inner end of the rod being supported upon a prop G of any approved construction. The clothes are then hung upon this red, and when the rod has received its quota it is carried outward and en gaged with one of the outer depressed surfaces of the rack; in this manner each rod is manipulated until all of them are filled, or as many as may be required, and after the hanging of the clothes has been completed the various clothes-carrying rods are spaced as 11:3.) be found most advantageous upon the rac It will be observed that as the rack is longer than the width of the window frame the end rods may be carried to the outer depressions, and thus considerable space will be obtained between the rods, facilitating the access of air to the hanging clothes. Next the latch bar is carried up to place, lockin g the clothes-carrying bars in position, and the clothes are permitted to dry; and when dried, to remove the clothes the device is manipulated in the same manner as described when the clothes are to be hung.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A clothes drier, the same consisting of a frame comprising a series of substantially parallel guide rods and a rack near one end, together with a series of clothes-receiving rods having each an independent sliding connection with the guide rods and adapted also for engagement with the rack, as and for the purpose specified.

2. A clothes drier, the same consisting of a frame provided with a series of guide rods, a rack pendent from one side of the frame, and rods located beneath the guide rods and having a sliding connection with the guide rods at their outer ends, the inner ends of the clothes-supporting rods being adapted to'hook upon the rack, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a clothes drier, the combinationnvith a frame, a series of guide rods carried by the frame, and keepers located at one end of the frame, of clothes-carrying rods located beneath the guide rods, the outer ends of the clothes-carrying rods having sliding movement upon the guide rods, their inner ends being adapted forengagement with the keepers, and a locking device engaging with the rear ends of the clothes-carrying rods when they are in engagement with their keepers, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a clothes drier, the combination, with a frame adapted for attachment to awindow frame, the inner end of the frame being wider than the window frame and the outer end of the clothes frame wider than its inner end, guide bars extending from front to rear of the frame, and a rack of serpentine construction located at the inner end of the :00

frame, the rack being of greater length than the width of the window frame, of clothescarrying rods having sliding connection upon the guide rods and adapted at their free ends for engagement with the rack, and a locking 

